Nick Kyrgios stays calm to land timely title

Nick Kyrgios succinctly explained his fluctuating levels of performance after one of his matches at last week’s Brisbane International. “It’s kind of like a tap,” the 22-year-old Australian said. “I can turn it on when I want to.”

If Kyrgios can keep the tap running steadily during the coming weeks, then consider him a contender for the Australian Open, which begins a week today in Melbourne. Certainly, his 6-4, 6-2 win against Ryan Harrison, of the United States, yesterday to win the title in Queensland was a positive sign that all is well, at the moment, with both his game and mindset.

Kyrgios moves up to No 17 in the world rankings as a result of his latest success, but that number does not give…

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